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This is the Dish HD anticipation thread for 2012. Please discuss, speculate, and wish for new HD in this thread and not create new threads that splinter the conversation.

Below are some ground rules for this thread...

1. This is the thread to discuss new potential HD from Dish for 2012.
2. This is not the thread to discuss hardware, just channels.
3. This is not a Dish vs DirecTV thread. It doesn't matter if DirecTV does or does not have a given HD channel... there are other threads for that.
4. This is not a thread to discuss channels in dispute between Dish and another company. There are other threads for that.

Personally, I have 99% of what I wanted - I'd like our local CW station in HD, but know that will come when the CBS O&O contract comes up (CBS owns The CW station) and will ultimately add to the cost of the package.

At some point everything will be in "HD" and it will all be called TV. Then the hassle will be over 3-D, I suppose.

"In a hundred years there'll be a whole new set of people."
"Always poke the bears. They sleep too much for their own good."

I would like to see all the premium movie channels that are broadcast in HD offered in HD on DISH. It would also be nice if at least one of the CW Superstation channels was offered in HD. My local CW is a sub channel of the ABC affiliate and is not available in HD OTA or otherwise.

I would like all of my local stations that broadcast in hd available on Dish in hd (CW, PBS, MyTV are all sd only on Dish). Every other provider in my area does this.

MCHuf:

Because this is the DISH HD wish tread,I don't know if you already have an over the air antenna up or not.If not check out www.antennaweb.org or www.tvfool.com and see if that might be an option.I do and the HD PQ is better over the air,plus with the 722k with the Dual Over The Air Tuners Module(MT2) I can record 4 programs at once(2OTA+2SAT) while watching a prerecorded program.Good Luck!

I would like to see Dish match DirecTV and Cable Local station HD offereings in every market BEFORE adding any new HD channels.

Example: in my Market DirecTV has CW, PBS Iowa, PBS Nebraska all IN HD. Dish is just SD.

Many other markets have the same issue.

That would be very shortsighted of Dish, and is why they don't do that. Some markets are just too small for Dish to allocate their HD space over a channel everyone can watch. Also it's sometimes not related to size at all. For instance Boston PBS is still in SD, but Hartford has it in HD. It can be because of something on the local's end.The NY RSN's are an example of Dish deciding, only people in the NY DMA can watch games on those channels, and doing the math, the amount the RSN's there want to charge would make Dish possibly have to charge everyone more to off set the increase, so no NY RSN's.

I guess my point is there are a variety of reasons not every DMA has all their locals in HD. Just remember when you compare Dish to Direct TV and Cable, compare the cost to subscribe to them too. In most cases Dish is less.

You missing my point. I said Match. Dish should Match DirecTV in local HD. DirecTV has many markets where they have all there locals in HD like the CW and PBS. Dish does not.Its hard to sell Dish when the the other guys have all the locals in HD.I drive around town and it is DireCTV Sat dishs installed on houses I would say 10 to One right now. Who wants SD? And who want to spend an other $50 for a Dish OTA modual plus an other $40 for an antenna.

Dish need to to add Local HDs channels for the CW and PBS before adding more HD.I thought I read where in 2013 and 2014 the law will require it anyway, is that true. I think they have to be at 60% of markets by Feb 1s or something.

That would be very shortsighted of Dish, and is why they don't do that. Some markets are just too small for Dish to allocate their HD space over a channel everyone can watch. Also it's sometimes not related to size at all. For instance Boston PBS is still in SD, but Hartford has it in HD. It can be because of something on the local's end.The NY RSN's are an example of Dish deciding, only people in the NY DMA can watch games on those channels, and doing the math, the amount the RSN's there want to charge would make Dish possibly have to charge everyone more to off set the increase, so no NY RSN's.

I guess my point is there are a variety of reasons not every DMA has all their locals in HD. Just remember when you compare Dish to Direct TV and Cable, compare the cost to subscribe to them too. In most cases Dish is less.

Some day our grand kids will ask, you mean you actually had to watch SD?

Not only that, I watched Dish SD

That would be very shortsighted of Dish, and is why they don't do that. Some markets are just too small for Dish to allocate their HD space over a channel everyone can watch. ...

There are very few if any markets on a ConUS beam, so filling in missing HD locals isn't depriving us of national channels. Smaller markets generally have fewer channels making it more likely they can all fit on the same spotbeam.

Charles @dishuser - a dynamic employee of Massive VeridianVisit the EchoStar Knowledge Base"The other guys charge $9.95/month to use tapeless record" - Dish Network Tech Forum, 8-6-01"dual" is NOT the same as "Twin" - here's why

I would like to see Dish match DirecTV and Cable Local station HD offereings in every market BEFORE adding any new HD channels.

More HD locals are coming. There is a threshhold next month that DISH must meet (DirecTV too) where if DISH carries one local HD channel in that market they must offer carriage to all local HD channels in that market. The current threshhold (as of February 2011) is 30% of markets complying with that agreement. In February the compliance level jumps to 60% (and in 2013 the compliance level must be 100%).

This does not help in markets where the HD feed is not broadcast or in markets where no HD stations are carried, but these thresholds will mean more HD locals in markets where HD is carried.

Some day our grand kids will ask, you mean you actually had to watch SD?

Our grandkids will consider what we call "HD" to be the "Standard Definition" ... or more likely low definition when technology moves beyond today's standards. (I'd say they would consider it "web cam" quality video, but the web cams are getting better every year as well.)

Actually that threshold means FEWER local DMA's will be HD, because if they add one or two or three stations in HD , they will very soon have to make all stations HD that transmitt in HD.

For some "smaller" markets like mine in Lubbock, TX (DMA #143) that would necessitate the carriage of 9 or 10 HD stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, MYTV, PBS, UNI and TEL + the FOX station has another channel that carries sports in HD from time to time) IN HD, that's more than one TP for HD bandwidth for a DMA of about 250 thousand.

ON top of that, Direct began carrying our locals in HD last fall - DISH WHERE ARE YOU!!

Actually that threshold means FEWER local DMA's will be HD, because if they add one or two or three stations in HD , they will very soon have to make all stations HD that transmitt in HD.

For markets with at least one already carried in HD it means more HD. Yes, in your market you're a "loser" ... but there are more winning markets than losers.

For some "smaller" markets like mine in Lubbock, TX (DMA #143) that would necessitate the carriage of 9 or 10 HD stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, MYTV, PBS, UNI and TEL + the FOX station has another channel that carries sports in HD from time to time) IN HD, that's more than one TP for HD bandwidth for a DMA of about 250 thousand.

I wouldn't consider Lubbock "smaller". More like mid-sized as it has the combination of a lot of stations but not a lot of population. Smaller markets, with less stations, could fit on one transponder. Large markets also have the issue of transponder space requirements. The trouble with the larger markets is a large population does not mean a large number of subscribers. And the threshold for carrying HD requires not only every available HD station be offered carriage (stations may refuse carriage) but that the space be set aside regardless of if each station is carried in HD or carried at all. DISH must be prepared to carry any station that converts to HD OTA as well as the ones already in HD.

ON top of that, Direct began carrying our locals in HD last fall - DISH WHERE ARE YOU!!

It is a balancing act. I'm sure there are markets where DirecTV customers are screaming for their HD locals. Please see the DirecTV forums for more information. This is not a DISH vs DirecTV thread.

More HD locals are coming. There is a threshhold next month that DISH must meet (DirecTV too) where if DISH carries one local HD channel in that market they must offer carriage to all local HD channels in that market. The current threshhold (as of February 2011) is 30% of markets complying with that agreement. In February the compliance level jumps to 60% (and in 2013 the compliance level must be 100%).

This does not help in markets where the HD feed is not broadcast or in markets where no HD stations are carried, but these thresholds will mean more HD locals in markets where HD is carried.

Our grandkids will consider what we call "HD" to be the "Standard Definition" ... or more likely low definition when technology moves beyond today's standards. (I'd say they would consider it "web cam" quality video, but the web cams are getting better every year as well.)

This helps explain why the Dothan AL DMA still has no local stations in HD while Direct and Comcast have and have had for a long time the locals in HD.

At onetime DISH used to provide a list of the markets they planned to add HD locals to.......... for those DMA's which currently have no locals in HD it sure seems DISH has no intention of changing that anytime soon.

What about a DMA like Panama City FL where we get ABC/NBC/FOX in HD from Panama City and our CBS (SD) comes from Dothan DMA...... if DISH is required to provide the missing CBS in HD to Panama City which comes from Dothan can DISH just provide the HD to Panama City and not Dothan?

It also paints a pretty gloomy picture of DISH not providing Dothan with any locals in HD anytime soon.

This helps explain why the Dothan AL DMA still has no local stations in HD while Direct and Comcast have and have had for a long time the locals in HD.

It also paints a pretty gloomy picture of DISH not providing Dothan with any locals in HD anytime soon.

There are currently 9 vacant transponders on 77 (1/3rd of the US capacity) plus there is space available at 61.5 where DISH is planning a new spotbeam satellite. In other words, there is plenty of room for Eastern Arc markets to see more local HD. Dothan is a three station market. It won't stay SD forever.